SONA 2026: Students Protest Outside Cape Town City Hall as Youth Concerns Go Unheard

• The protest by Cape Peninsula University of Technology students outside Cape Town City Hall highlighted a deepening youth crisis, as many face eviction and a lack of housing
• Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela assured students they would not be left without shelter
• Youth advocacy group, Youth Capital, said the SONA overlooked youth unemployment and opportunities, focusing mainly on national issues

CAPE TOWN- The State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 12 February showcased what the government describes as decisive leadership on issues such as energy, water, crime, and infrastructure. Yet, outside the halls of parliament, a very different story unfolded for young South Africans.

CPUT protest during SONA

Students from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) were protesting after being evicted from temporary accommodation, highlighting ongoing struggles with housing and access to education. The students, some carrying their luggage, held a peaceful protest outside Cape Town City Hall in an effort to get President Ramaphosa’s attention over what they described as a continuing student accommodation crisis.

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Many of the affected students, who come from different provinces, said they have been left with no choice but to sleep in toilets or outside due to the lack of housing.

Higher Education Minister responds

In response, Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela assured students that no one would be evicted from their accommodation.

“For now, no student will sleep outside. We have been working with CPUT management, the SRC, and others to ensure that CPUT students do not sleep outside,” he said.

He clarified that the challenge lies in the quality of rooms rather than allocation and expressed hope that it would be resolved before the academic programme resumes.

Youth advocacy group speaks out

Meanwhile, a pre-SONA youth dialogue in Khayelitsha, intended to provide direct engagement with the President on 10 February 2026, was attended only by the Deputy President, leaving young participants feeling sidelined.

Briefly News spoke to Murphy Nganga, a representative of the youth advocacy group Youth Capital, who said the 9 million young South Africans not in education, training, or employment underscore the urgent need to address youth issues. Speaking on the SONA, he said his immediate reaction was one of disappointment.

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“The government shows it can lead decisively through targets, timelines, and accountability, but that leadership was absent on youth unemployment,

“Youth unemployment is the country’s largest social and economic crisis, yet it was treated vaguely and without urgency,” Nganga said.

He further noted that on other issues, the President was specific, naming numbers and timelines; however, when it came to youth unemployment, the language was vague, programmes were mentioned without new commitments, and no accountability mechanisms were outlined.

Possible solutions to addressing the crisis

Certainty and transparency around the future of the SRD grant

Looking forward, Nganga said youth unemployment must be treated as a crisis, with a presidentially chaired youth employment crisis committee. In addition, the government must ensure certainty and transparency around the future of the SRD grant, which many young people depend on.

Furthermore, Nganga stressed that young people need more than symbolic gestures; they require time-bound targets, multi-year funding, clear transition pathways into permanent work, certainty about social support, and pathways into work and study.

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Reflecting on personal experience, Nganga added,

“Young people navigate fragmented systems and delayed responses. Even when platforms for engagement exist, leadership is often absent. This gap between promise and presence is disheartening.”

Previous articles on student protests in SA

During the week of 6 October 2025, students at the University of Fort Hare took to the streets, demanding democratic Student Representative Council (SRC) elections after the university had appointed an interim SRC. They argued that the appointment was unlawful and undemocratic. Protesters also called for the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu after the extension of his contract. The protests destroyed university infrastructure valued at between R250 million and R500 million.

Students from the University of Free State (UFS) protested on 8 October 2025, over the university’s decision to scrap provisional registration. The policy was reportedly set to take effect next year. They demanded the cancellation of provisional registration. The students also slammed Buti Manamela and accused the university of promoting a pro-white agenda.

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Briefly News also reported on the protest at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Students protested against financial exclusion in February 2025. The scholars came together to fight for every student prohibited from continuing their studies at the institution. The ongoing strikes and protests resembled the 2015 FeesMustFall movement led by the youth who were determined to stop increases in student fees as well as to increase government funding of universities.

Source: Briefly News